A rocky road so far: Recreational marijuana and impaired driving

Marijuana legalization is spreading. What does this mean for traffic safety?

More than 30 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico have programs that allow qualifying patients to access medical marijuana products. Another 13 states permit non-intoxicating medical marijuana products. Ten states and D.C. permit recreational marijuana, where any adult over the age of 21 can possess and use the drug. Recreational marijuana sales are booming.

Many people are rightly concerned about road safety in an age of legal recreational marijuana. This report examines the current state of knowledge related to marijuana impairment: its effects on driving abilities, how traffic safety might be impacted, and how states are grappling with the issue of “stoned driving.”

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